Restitution is a great sign of responsibility

Roksolana Ludyn is a teacher, actress and conducts workshops. One month after the outbreak of the war on February 24, 2022, she left her home in Kyiv, Ukraine, and came to Berlin. Here she is now working on mediation programs for the so-called „Benin Bronzes,“ which are on display at the Humboldt Forum.

Interview: Elena Then (deutsche Version)

How did the war affect your work and life in Ukraine? What were you working on in Ukraine at the time before the war?

Before the war, I was working in Ukraine as a teacher of English, Ukrainian and acting – mostly for kids. Last year I also started working in the field of inclusive education.

The war changed everything abruptly. Still remember horrible morning on 24 February when I woke up and heard the sounds of explosions. This was something that seemed so hard to believe and so frightening. The educational centers I was working with had to be closed because of the danger for kids.

As part of your scholarship you are researching the mediation work on the so-called “Benin Bronzes”. Why did you choose that field?

I am glad to know more about the topic of “Benin Bronzes”, which gives clues to understanding the processes of decolonization overall. This topic also resonates with my own country history. When we talk about colonialism mostly people think about Western countries, but also parallels can be seen in constant wish of Russia to dominate, conquer Ukrainian territories, trying to appropriate our cultural heritage.

Can you tell me more about your work?

I am working in the educational department of the Ethnologisches Museum, I take part in preparing and leading workshops, guided tours. I explore the topics of colonialism, restitution; learn more about history and cultures exhibited in the museum.

The team is very friendly and professional and I am very grateful for the opportunity to work here.

The „Benin bronzes“ are Nigerian property again since August 2022. What do you think about the restitutions? How do they change the mediation work?

Restitution is a great sign of awareness of responsibility; together with a cultural dialogue, it shows the attempt to correct historical injustice.  It scares me when the wrong is not recognized. Many things were stolen from Ukraine during the Russian invasion, from Ukrainian museums as well, in Mariupol and other places.

How was the opening of the Humboldt Forum for you?

The opening was very bright, full of wonderful events. The whole week was also very intensive. I felt honored to be there, to listen and learn. It was very useful to be among many international guests, to explore more about their cultures, world vision, to discuss about the new museum and the directions for its development. In addition, I was happy to meet musicians from Ukraine and to see that a Ukrainian project is taking place at the Opening.

Have you been able to gain any new insights e.g. by talking to people from Nigeria?

I was very happy to meet the people from Nigeria, to communicate with them. It was exciting to explore some cultural differences and I was inspired by the way they talk about their culture – with a lot of love and excitement.

What will be the next steps in your work? What are your plans for the immediate future?

As a teacher I plan to explore museum pedagogy, new methods and variants to talk to different age groups, especially  kids, about important social and cultural processes. I also have an experience of working as an actress in Ukraine, so I will try to use this knowledge in making the educational events more colorful and performative.

What is your perspective after the end of the fellowship? Do you think you can return to Ukraine and seamlessly continue your work?

Museum pedagogy is a very interesting field to discover, I would like to connect my future professional development with it. Life-long learning is a way of thinking that is close to me.

I hope the war ends soon, but unfortunately, many things will not be the same they were before. I will try to do something for my Ukraine’s revival either in my country, or in Germany. It is also important to work in the field of an intercultural dialogue between Germany and Ukraine, doing projects for Ukrainian refugees. 

The fellowships for Ukrainian researchers are funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media of the Federal Republic of Germany.